November 30 2022

Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas & Trends for 2023

websites@idomarketing.co.uk

Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas & Trends For 2023

“70% of consumers want to know how the brands they support plan to address social and environmental issues.”

Is your business making an effort to address these issues?

We’ve all heard of CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance in showcasing a business’s approach to taking responsibility for its effect on social and environmental well-being.

There are many ways a business can embrace Corporate Social Responsibility, but one thing is for sure; it needs to be integrated into the culture and business operations to be meaningful. When thought of as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, the chances are it won’t positively impact your business.

How can CSR help your business?

Looking at your business’s Corporate Social Responsibility and including it in your new year planning can make all the difference.

It is rarely considered when creating plans for the new year, as there is so much to work through. However, it is essential to remember that your planning on it should include ALL aspects of your business, from your carbon emissions, your business ethics, and process efficiencies through to your employee well-being and much more.

Not only can it benefit the internal culture of your business and create a better work environment, but it also gives your clients/consumers an ethical reason to choose you over your competitors.

In fact, 46% of consumers say they pay close attention to these efforts when making purchase decisions. (According to Markstein and Certus Insights).A company’s reputation is often based on the public’s perception and how they feel about companies support of the community. This is just one reason why CSR is an important factor to consider moving forward into 2023.

CSR ideas for 2023:

When considering your CSR, initiatives like recycling are no longer enough when working to be more socially conscious and are often expected.

There is a trend to improve sustainability, zero carbon footprint, and a shift away from fossil fuels so keep this top of mind when making your choices for partnerships as it should be as important to them as it is to you.

Here are a few steps to get you in the right direction.

Step 1 – Pinpoint your business’s missions and ethics

How your company can work to meet your socially responsible ambitions better should tie in with your business’s overall mission and ethics.

There has been an increased crackdown on greenwashing – so ensuring your actions align with your brand is key. Having a cause and reasoning behind your initiatives gives your work authenticity and momentum.

Step 2 – Set targets

Whether you want to work with a charity that aligns with your ethos, reduce your carbon footprint or participate in fair trade policies, setting a target for the work you want to do will help you a huge amount.

A great way to do this is by looking at what others in your industry are doing and seeing whether it is something that could work for you too.

You might want to ask yourself a few of these questions about your business and reflect on the past when setting these targets:

Have you been implementing a CSR strategy correctly in the past?
How can you make your workplace a better place for employees?
What is it that makes your industry different from others?
How is your industry struggling to meet CSR standards?
Are you currently measuring your environmental impact?

Step 3 – Implement your ideas and carefully communicate them

Put your ideas into action – don’t be all talk and no action!

Once you have a solid plan of what you want to do, it is important that you share it. Whether through internal newsletters and internal communications to let your team know what will be changing moving forward or let close customers and clients know how you plan on trying to better your business… Get. It. Out. There.

As long as you are confident that your plan is authentic to your business’s ethics, it will positively impact your social and environmental well-being and your internal culture.

How have we been working to improve our Corporate Social Responsibility?

Since starting I Do Marketing, one of Lydia’s ultimate goals has been to help a charity work on their marketing pro bono, and we made it happen!

We have been working with our local mental health charity – Take Off. They align with our ethos and mission and are an excellent way for us to do our part in helping our local community.

Take Off is a peer-led mental health and wellbeing charity that aims to reach and help as many people as possible with their groups and services in Kent.

We have been helping them by strengthening their brand and helping to showcase their fantastic work by introducing a brand new marketing strategy, developing new brand guidelines and strengthening their online visibility via Google and social media through web development and campaign planning.

All of these are targets that we set alongside them, aiming to help them get a better reach within Kent so that they can help more people.

You can find out more about Take Off here…

It is important to remember that corporate social responsibility comes in many forms. Even the smallest company can impact social change by doing things like donating to a local food bank when possible.

One of the clients we have worked very closely with to promote their internal and external Corporate Social Responsibility is OFP Timber Frame.

Through various initiatives, they have made multiple efforts to become more sustainable and conscious of their environmental and social impact. You can view their environmental, sustainable and governance page on their site to see how they are taking a step in the right direction to reduce their environmental impact.

Learn More

What are your CSR plans for 2023? If you need guidance or support in making your vision come to life or bringing awareness to the amazing work you already do, we would love to help tell your story.

Free Consultation

Are you prioritising your marketing in 2023? Book a free consultation with our team to discuss which marketing strategies and trends could benefit your business.

Book Free Consultation